Pumpkin Cranberry Bundt Cake
This all-in-one holiday bundt cake has everything— pumpkin, cranberries and almonds. Covered in a cream cheese icing, it’s a perfect choice for fall and holiday entertaining.
I must admit that as a baker, I get really excited this time of year. Cookies, cakes, and pie (oh my!) take center stage for several weeks and everyone goes a little nuts. I’m crazy for baking year-round so it’s always fun for me when everyone else joins in on the action.
I’m still on the quest to fall in love with pumpkin and I think I’ve found the solution— desserts where pumpkin isn’t the star but only a supporting character. Pumpkin mixed in with cranberries, molasses and almonds (not to mention sugar and butter), how can I not love that?
And the cream cheese icing is just, well, literally the icing on the cake. This pumpkin cranberry bundt cake is perfect. Not over-the-top sweet or indulgent, but very enjoyable, and the perfect ending to a dinner party or typical weekday night.
I happened to be out of pecans the day I baked this, so I used slivered almonds and it turned out great. But I know pecans would be wonderful too.
Whether you’re still consumed with all things fall and pumpkin, or looking ahead to Thanksgiving and Christmas, this bundt cake recipe is here to please.
baking tip:How to freeze a bundt cake
Looking to make holiday entertaining easier? Simply bake this bundt cake up to 1 month in advance and tightly wrap it in 2 layers of plastic wrap before placing it in the freezer. When ready to serve, remove it from the freezer and let thaw at room temperature in the plastic wrap for 6-8 hours or overnight. Once thawed, remove the plastic wrap and frost. No one will be the wiser!
As a side-note, frosted cakes do not freeze well.
Pumpkin Cranberry Bundt Cake
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (240 grams)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon ginger
- Pinch salt
- ¾ cup unsalted butter , at room temperature (170 grams)
- 1 cup packed light or dark brown sugar (215 grams)
- ½ cup granulated sugar (100 grams)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ¼ cup canned pumpkin puree (338 grams)
- ¼ cup molasses (85 ml)
- 1 cup fresh cranberries , roughly chopped (100 grams)
- 1 cup almonds or pecans , chopped (110 grams)
For the icing:
- 4 ounces cream cheese , at room temperature (113 grams)
- ½ cup powdered sugar (110 grams)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3-4 tablespoons milk
Instructions
To make the icing:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour a 9-inch bundt pan.
- In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, or in a bowl with a hand mixer, beat together the butter, brown sugar and sugar together until pale in color and creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing after each, followed by the vanilla. Add the pumpkin puree and molasses and mix until combined. Add the dry ingredients and mix only until the streaks of flour are gone. Gently stir in the cranberries and pecans.
- Spread the batter into the prepared bundt pan and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the top bounces back when touched, about 1 hour.
- Let cool in the pan 10 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack or plate to cool completely.
To make the icing:
- Beat the cream cheese in a stand mixer or with a hand mixer until smooth. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract. Add enough milk to get a spreadable consistency.
- Spread the icing on top of the bundt cake, letting it drip down the sides. Let the icing set before serving.
- Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Wow, this bundt cake looks wonderful! I’m sure it would make a great impression if served to my guests during a holiday get-together! But I think I’ll substitute almonds with pecans, just to make it even more Christmas suitable!
xo, Elisa
I am sure glad you took the route using molasses in your cake. I find it is not used enough and I miss the malted riches it delivers to bundt cakes.
This would taste great for Xmas lunch or even as holiday treat for one:)
This looks amazing!
That icing is dripping delicious. Bundts are my favorite, they’re easy for a novice like me. Lovely as usual!
I am so madly in love with this cake. I’m a sucker for anything cooked in a bundt and I absolutely love that this has all the flavors of fall in one place! Gorgeous, Annalise.
Perfect for tea!!
Fo reals?!!!! Damn girl, you can make one serious cake! I’ll 4, 365 slices, pa-lease?!
I love all the desserts and cookies you have been baking and posting about! This Bundt cake is gorgeous. I’ve already printed out the recipe to try this season. Lovely photos as always. Miss you! XO
I’m in love with this cake….it’s so beautiful, Annalise!! You’ve got nearly every holiday flavor wrapped up in one amazing cake.
This sounds so delicious, I am also a super fan of pumpkin and cranberries 😀 But I would surely go for the pecans 😉
What a gorgeous cake! Your photos are amazing girl!
Beautiful cake! I love the combination of cranberries and pumpkin! This will definitely be served during the holidays!
This bundt looks delicious, I love all the festive flavours in it. I’d love a wedge of it right now. I’ll be featuring it on my blog later on this week on a feature that I do called baking news.
how did I miss this!! It looks stunning and sounds amazing!!
This looks SOOOOOO good!!!
Hi, Annalise! Im going to make this delicious bundt cake this weekend for a dinner party I’m hosting. It really screams fall!! I just wanted one clarification…when do you put the cranberries and nuts in? The recipe makes no mention. Can I assume that it’s before you put the dry ingredients in? Thanks! Cristina
Oops! So sorry for neglecting that detail in the recipe. The cranberries and nuts get mixed in right at the end, after you combine the wet and dry ingredients. Hope I’ve caught you before your dinner party! Happy baking!
This is delicious! For the frosting, I swapped out the milk with eggnog, to add even more holiday flavor. It was amazing!!!
What a great idea! So happy to hear you enjoyed the cake.
Would it alter the taste or consistency of the cake if I omitted the nut a as several family members of my family are allergic to. Tree nuts
Nope not at all!
This cake is delicious. I reduced the brown sugar to 1 cup and added a cup of Maltodextrin/Stevia sweetener for the rest instead of white sugar. I did use molasses however in the ratio stated. I also added 2 tbsp of ground flax seed, 1/4 tsp of ground cloves, and the grate of an entire orange, 1 tsp of baking soda and 2.5tsp of baking powder and a whole smaller can of pumpkin and 1.2 cup of peanuts. Came out perfect with a ideal spongier quality and far less sweet. I did not use the glaze. It disappeared.
Just made this and it’s a winner, thank you! I made an orange zest cream cheese frosting drizzle, and added orange zest to your recipe. Perfection!
I’ll be sharing your recipe!
My cake was done in 45 minutes— glad I kept checking.
Can I use frozen cranberries?
Sure! Add them to the batter frozen, don’t thaw first.
Could I use dried cranberries?